Only in Britain: Two for One Weddings

HOPING to align religious tradition with modern life, the Church of England has introduced a new "two-in-one" marriage and baptism ceremony that allows couples who already have children to tie the knot.

"Family-friendly weddings" will make it easier for those with children to marry in church, the Church of England said as it launched an appeal to cohabiting couples in an increasingly secular Britain.

If successful, it would also mean more young people being baptised into the Church.

The decision follows research showing that one in five couples in Britain who get married in church already have children. But critics say such a move condones sex before marriage and will reinforce the trend towards cohabitation.

"This is a response to the demand that is on us as a church to meet people who come to us for this key event in their lives," said a Church of England spokesman.

While the Church, fighting to retain numbers, seeks to attract worshippers with a more flexible and modern approach, some clergy say the move breaks with traditional ethics.

"It is a huge mistake. You cannot have the two-in-one, they do not go together," said retired Reverend Beverley Thompson.

Rev Thompson, who took early retirement from the Church of England after the ordination of female priests in 1994, said it destroyed the distinct sacraments of matrimony and baptism.

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If they just want to save on church fees and caterers...why bother getting married in the first place??????

Religious News: Creationist Biologist Quits Post at Royal Society

From BBC News

Creationist Biologist Quits Post at Royal Society

Professor Michael Reiss has quit as director of education at the Royal Society following the controversy over his recent comments on creationism.

Last week Prof Reiss - a Church of England minister - said creationism should be discussed in science lessons if pupils raised the issue.

He was criticised by other scientists - though misquoted as saying creationism should be "taught" in science classes.

The society said some of his comments had been "open to misinterpretation".

This had damaged its reputation.

"As a result, Professor Reiss and the Royal Society have agreed that, in the best interests of the society, he will step down immediately as director of education - a part-time post he held on secondment," it said in a statement.

"He is to return, full time, to his position as professor of science education at the Institute of Education."

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Charles Darwin to Receive Apology from Church

Charles Darwin is to receive an apology from Church of England -126 years after his death

The Church of England is to officially apologise to Charles Darwin for misunderstanding his theory of evolution - 126 years after his death.

The Church the will address its contrition directly to the Victorian scientist himself.It will concede in a statement that it was over-defensive and over-emotional in dismissing Darwin's ideas, calling "anti-evolutionary fervour" an "indictment" on the Church.

The apology has been written by the Rev Dr Malcolm Brown, the Church's director of mission and public affairs.The statement says that Christians, in their response to Darwin's theory of natural selection, repeated the mistakes they made in doubting Galileo's astronomy in the 17th century, reports Telegraph.

An article to be posted on the Church's website will say: "Charles Darwin: 200 years from your birth, the Church of England owes you an apology for misunderstanding you and, by getting our first reaction wrong, encouraging others to misunderstand you still. We try to practise the old virtues of 'faith seeking understanding' and hope that makes some amends."

Opposition to evolutionary theories is still "a litmus test of faithfulness" for some Christian movements, the Church will admit. It will say that such attitudes owe much to a fear of perceived threats to Christianity. The apology will be made on Monday 15 Sept.

Pray Today - Pass Tomorrow?

So long as students have to take exams, there will always be prayer in our schools. But how effective are those prayers? And what if a special written prayer could reduce stress, bring calmness, and help a student focus during the hours of an exam? Would it help the student to pass the test?

The Church of England has come with a novel idea of internet prayers for high school, college, and university students to recite before they enter exam rooms. The prayers are also available for teachers who tend to worry about their students during exams. After all, the outcome of the final grades is also used to measure the effectiveness of a teacher’s ability.

The Rev Janina Ainsworth, chief education officer for the Church of England has stated that the prayers were initially written for student gatherings or school assemblies. With a little tweaking, the prayers could be altered to suit an individual’s needs.

Leaving prayer to the last minute is more like wishful thinking, but taking time to sit down and really pray may help stressed out students calm down and give themselves a better opportunity of making their grades. The peace that passes all understanding may soon become the peace that passes every testing.

The prayers can be found at www.cofe.anglican.org/prayers

Weddings Too Costly in UK- Marriage is in Decline

THE DECLINING interest in marriage, revealed in official figures last week, has been blamed on economic pressure by leading Christian marriage experts.

From Religious Intelligence

By: Matt Cresswell.

Financial worries are a particular concern, with fewer and fewer young couples even able to afford a wedding after battling rising house prices and student loans.

Their comments come after the figures released by the Office of National Statistics revealed marriage rates in England and Wales for 2006 are the lowest since records began in 1862.

Speaking to The Church of England Newspaper Carol Davies of the Anglican marriage support group Family Life and Marriage Education Network (FLAME) said she was very concerned about the financial pressures. “People have said that couples don’t get married because they can’t afford the increasing wedding costs but now they also have the situation of rising house prices,” she said. “Getting your foot on the housing market is now nigh on impossible.”

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Sex, Hugs, and Housework Roles – A Guide to the Perfect Marriage

London, March 9 : The days when the vicar's role in a marriage ended at the church gate are passé, for the contemporary clergy believe in offering marriage advice on everything from financial planning to even sex.

Concerned by the high numbers of divorces, the Church of England has come out with its guide to the perfect marriage, entitled Growing Together, to help couples get ready for the rigors of modern marriage.

The 120-page guide counsels couples to priorities their goals in life, including sex, children and sport, even suggesting that they consider who does the cooking and who cleans the lavatory.

The guide advises prospective husbands to learn to improve their capacity to listen.

For wives, the guide says that they need to be truthful about how they plan to spend their money.

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Britain Becoming An Atheist Society

London • Freedom from religion in Britain is becoming as important as freedom of religion, according to a United Nations investigation into religion in the UK.

In a 23-page report published yesterday, a UN rapporteur claims the 2001 Census findings that nearly 72 per cent of the population is Christian can no longer be regarded as accurate. The report claims that two-thirds of British people now do not admit to any religious adherence.

The report also calls for the disestablishment of the Church of England. The role and privileges of the established Church are challenged because they do not reflect "the religious demography of the country and the rising proportion of other Christian denominations."

The report also warns that measures to combat terrorism in Britain could be undermined because of discrimination against Muslims.

According to the report into the freedom of religion and belief in the UK, there is an "overall respect for human rights and their value." But the report warns that Muslims in particular face screening, searches, interrogation and arrest.

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